Mindset important in transformation to electric vehicles, GM exec says |
The industry needs to think of the transition to electric vehicles as "existential," Steve Carlisle, president of GM North America, said Wednesday during a CES panel titled "Automotive Transformation: EVs and Connectivity."
"I think the industry sometimes gets the reputation of, 'Battery electric is kind of discretionary or it's regulatory.' We need to think of it as being more existential. We need to view it as the endgame and to really drive ourselves that way," Carlisle said.
That means electric vehicles need to be affordable for average car buyers, panelists said. Chevrolet launched the Bolt EV at CES four years ago to have a long-range, affordable EV in the market, said Carlisle.
"If we are going to make a difference in the environment, we need to be where the market is," he said. "In some cases, that's determined by price point."
Government incentives for consumers and investments in charging infrastructure would accelerate EV adoption and make EVs more accessible, added Joe Britton, executive director at the Zero Emission Transportation Association. Consumer incentives will "catalyze" the industry, he said.
-- Hannah Lutz